No more golf with "clients"

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati forbids his staffs, including the director generals, playing golf with people who might trigger conflict of interest. They are allowed to play golf with their colleagues. 

"I told my director generals, play no more golf with people with potential conflict of interests. I'm not suspicious about golfing, but please play with your colleague. For example, director general for tax could play golf with director general of treasury, so they could work together in the tax reporting, for example," Sri Mulyani is quoted by Detik.com.

Last year, South Korea president Lee Myung-bak asked State officers in the country to stop playing golf, because of expensive membership fee (US$250,000) and financial crisis. 

Well, public have repeatedly criticized State officers for their golfing habit with "clients", including between prosecutors and suspects, or judges and lawyers, police officers and brokers, between project leaders and suppliers or contractors.

Last month, legislator at House Commission III, urged police not to play golf with the brokers. "Golfing is the entrance gate for brokers in criminal and civil cases. Look at KPK. There is no golf," Harry Wicaksono, legislator from Demokrat Party said.

Former KPK chairman Antasari Azhar is famous for the alleged "affair" with caddy Rani Juliani.

It's expensive too. Last year, media reported annual budget of US$1 million for golf membership and activities of Bank Jatim, a bank controlled by local administrations in East Java, based on audit by Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

Early this year, Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) discovered huge golf expenses for the board of directors of state-owned airport management company PT Angkasa Pura I.

Panda Nababan, legislator from PDI-P, asked National Police Chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri about golfing activities of local and regional police chiefs while their salary are not enough to buy the golf sticks. "How they finance their golfing hobby?" That's an easy question to answer: the brokers of cases being handled or investigated by police! (Haryanto Suharman contributed to this report)   

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Conflict of interests in presidential race

We managed to develop a list of cabinet members and commissioners in state-owned enterprises that openly play politics but no punishment weighed upon them. Why the country doesn't want to change? Why the current administration repeats the behavior of previous administrations when it comes to abuse of power and State assets?
Some love the phrase...laws established only to be violated. That seems perfectly correct when you see the following list. You can expand the list with hundreds of other names in somewhat similar positions. Not to mention tens of the so-called economists and political observers hired as commissioners in the state-owned companies and government offices.

Looks to us as repetition of what the previous regimes did. That's also why each regime has their own people in the state-owned companies.

And, if corruption is defined as taking benefit from the State assets for own or group interest, not necessarily money, but to maintain political power, we're just follow the footsteps of the master, Soeharto.



No Name SOE Position Political Party/Affiliates Position
1 Sutanto Pertamina President Commissioner Pro-SBY Movement Deputy Chairman
2 Umar Said Pertamina Commissioner Demokrat Party Head of Experts Council and member of Supervisory Council
3 Muhayat Bank Mandiri Deputy SOEs minister/Commissioner Barisan Indonesia (Barindo) Chairman
4 Suratto Angkasa Pura II Commissioner Yayasan Puri Cikeas Chairman
5 Akhmad Syakhroza Jasa Marga Commissioner Partai Demokrat Secretary of Experts Council
6 Tanri Abeng Telkom President Commissioner Partai Golkar Member of Advisory Council
7 Andi Arief Pos Indonesia Commissioner Jaringan Nusantara (Success Team SBY-Boediono) Secretary General
8 Chalik Ghozali Pupuk Sriwijaya Commissioner PBR Central Board Executive
9 Soeprapto Indosat President Commissioner Tim Sekoci (Success Team SBY-Boediono)
10 Harry Sebayang PTPN III Commissioner Jaringan Nusantara (Success Team SBY-Boediono) Chairman
11 Irvan Edison – President Special Staff Tim Sekoci (Success Team SBY-Boediono) Deputy Chairman
12 Aam Sapulete PTPN VII Commissioner Jaringan Nusantara (Success Team SBY-Boediono) Deputy Chairman
13 Joyo Winoto Jasa Marga Commissioner Partai Demokrat Deputy Chairman II Experts Council
14 Sardan Marbun – President Special Staff Tim Romeo (Success Team SBY-Boediono Chairman
15 Hatta Radjasa – State Secretary Minister Success Team SBY-Boediono PAN Member of PAN Advisory Board
16 Freddi Numberi – Fishery Minister Success Team SBY-Boediono Member
17 Taufiq Effendi – State Apparatus Minister Success Team SBY-Boediono Member
18 Jero Wacik – Tourism Minister Success Team SBY-Boediono Member
19 Lukman Edy – Least Developed Areas Minister Success Team SBY-Boediono Member
20 Suryadharma Ali – Cooperatives & SMEs minister Success Team SBY-Boediono PPP Member Chairman PPP
21 Fahmi Idris – Industry Affairs Minister Success Team JK-Win Partai Golkar Chairman Golkar Executive
22 Paskah Suzetta – National Development Planning Minister Success Team JK-Win Partai Golkar Member Golkar Treasurer DPP Golkar
23 Aburizal Bakrie – Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Success Team JK-Win Partai Golkar Member Advisory Council of Golkar
How do we know that these officers are not abusing their position in public offices and the State facilities for the benefit of certain candidate?

General Election Commission (KPU) shall uphold the presidential election law to create a better democracy and put an end decades of "corruption" of State assets. What's the meaning of corruption eradication if the country is just too permissive on the violation committed by public officers?

KPU shall strictly enforce Article 41 point 2d and 3 of Law No. 42/2008 about presidential election when it comes to officers at state-owned enterprises. They have to also enforce Article 64 about the use of State facilities. If our leaders can't give good examples in upholding the laws, don't expect people to obey them. When it comes to cabinet members, they're allowed to become members of campaign team for certain candidate pursuant to article 62 and 63. But that should be in a package with implementation of article 64.

With all due respect to SBY-Boediono's claim for good governance, they have to start with their own backyards.

Haryanto Suharman and Yosef Ardi

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